The Whirlwind Birth
by Samantha Novak
Summary: Fill for a prompt from the LJ SPN Kink Comm. While Sam is away aiding some of the refugees, Castiel, nearly full-term with his and Sam's baby, is required elsewhere. Dean tags along to keep Castiel safe, but on the drive home, they run into a snowstorm and the angel goes into labor. Full prompt inside.


**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** The full prompt for this fic:

"Sam and Cas are together. Cas is carrying Sam's child, and very close to giving birth when a case comes up that only Cas can help with. It shouldn't be dangerous at all, and Dean promises Sam - who's heading back to the bunker after helping some of the refugees who got in trouble on a hunt of their own - that he'll make sure Cas is safe.

On the way back home, they drive into a really bad storm and get stranded. Cas goes into labour and Dean has to deliver the baby in the back seat of the car, and then keep the father and child safe and warm until Sam can get to them.

If you'd rather swap Dean with Sam, or have some other character helping Cas while the brothers (either or both being the father) being away elsewhere, that's okay.

Happy ending, please."

* * *

"Hey, Sam just called," Dean called cheerfully as he jogged up the few steps into the library, phone in one hand and a coffee mug in the other. "Said he figured out what those kids from that other world were hunting, so he's on his way home. Should be about a day."

Castiel nodded, one hand resting atop the book he'd been reading while the other splayed protectively over his very pregnant belly, thumb brushing back and forth. He hadn't liked the idea of his boyfriend going away for a couple of days when he was so close to his due date – or, rather, the date they estimated themselves since they couldn't very well go to a hospital. But a few of the refugees whom Sam had been teaching to hunt had been stumped by what they were hunting, so the youngest Winchester had declared he needed to help them before they got themselves killed. Knowing Sam would be home soon calmed the pregnant angel.

"Good," he said quietly, returning his attention to his book.

Dean hummed in distracted agreement and sipped his coffee as he retook his place across from his friend to resume reading his own book.

They had only been sitting quietly for a few minutes when a cry from the angel tore Dean away from his book, and his attention snapped up to watch Castiel. The closer Castiel got to his due date, the more Dean found himself watching the expecting angel like a hawk. Any sound of discomfort or wince had his alarm bells flaring. Most of the time, his worries were for nothing which the angel was quick to assure. This time, Dean wouldn't let Castiel dismiss that cry, but instead of finding Castiel clutching his belly as Dean expected, the angel had his hands pressed to his temples, breathing harshly.

"Cas?!" he called, standing so quickly his chair toppled backward as he hurried around the table to kneel beside the angel.

"Angel Radio," Castiel gasped in explanation. "One of my sisters is calling for help… very loudly and insistently." He grunted and winced, but the tension in his body melted away, and he drew in a deep breath, lowering his hands. "She's nearby. I have to go help," he declared, using the table to push his heavy body up out of the chair.

"Whoa, easy, wait a second," Dean said, trying to push the angel back down gently. "You're in no shape to be going anywhere, Cas. Another angel can go help."

"Dean, there aren't that many of us left," Castiel snapped, once again pushing himself to his feet, a hand immediately moving to support the underside of his belly. "Who knows if anyone will find her, and if she dies and I could have stopped it…"

Dean sighed, knowing he couldn't convince Castiel not to do this. "Alright, but I'm calling Sam. He should at least know what's going on."

Castiel nodded and slowly made his way out of the library toward the exit, leaving Dean to follow.

The hunter sighed again as he snagged his jacket off a chair while simultaneously digging his phone out of his pocket. He tucked it against his ear as he tugged his coat on then hurried up the stairs to catch up to Castiel, who moved a little quicker than Dean expected anyone that pregnant should be able to, angel or not, helping support him as they climbed the stairs.

 _"_ _Dean, we literally just got done talking,"_ Sam sighed.

"Yeah, well, thought I should tell you that your boyfriend decided he's going on a rescue mission," Dean grumbled as they reached the top of the stairs then directed Castiel toward the garage.

 _"_ _What are you talking about? Rescue mission? Rescue who?"_ Sam asked.

"Another angel. He got a distress call a minute ago, said the angel's nearby, so he's going to help," Dean said.

 _"_ _What? No! He's in no condition to be going anywhere! Are you-? Are you_ helping?!" Sam cried indignantly.

Dean snorted. "You try telling Cas not to do something."

 _"_ _I will. Give_ _Castiel_ _the phone. Now,"_ Sam snapped.

Dean sighed as he followed the angel into the garage and over to where he'd parked Baby, grasping his arm to stop him from climbing in just yet. He tapped the speaker button and held the phone up between them.

"Sam," Castiel said expectantly.

 _"_ _Cas, what the hell are you thinking?!"_ cried Sam. _"_ _You're_ pregnant! _You should be resting, not hunting!"_

"This is not a hunt," Cas countered. "One of my sisters is in trouble, Sam. Do not tell me that if you were in my place, and Dean was in trouble, you would not go, that you would rest."

Sam sighed, knowing his boyfriend had a point. _"_ _I don't like this. Maybe if you weren't so close to your due date – which, might I remind you, is a_ guess. _You could go into labor earlier for all we know."_

"I'll keep him safe, Sam," Dean solemnly promised.

"How 'nearby' is your sister, Cas?" Sam asked.

"A couple of hours. If all goes well, Dean and I should return before you," Castiel said.

 _"_ _But will this angel react well to you being pregnant? Jack wasn't so positively accepted when he was conceived. I don't want you getting hurt,"_ Sam said, a note of affection tinting his voice.

"If the angel tries hurting Cas because he's pregnant, I'll handle her," Dean said. "No way is Cas fighting."

Sam sighed heavily and stayed quiet for a moment before he sighed again. _"_ _Alright. Alright! I guess I can't stop you. But if_ anything _happens, call me! And call me when you're on your way home."_

"We will," Cas promised.

"I'll see you tomorrow," Sam said. "I love you, Cas."

"I love you, too, Sam," Castiel replied before Dean said his own goodbyes then pocketed his phone.

"Okay!" the hunter said, pulling the car door open for his friend. "Let's hit the road!"

Dean drove in the direction Castiel told him to, the angel guiding him more and more the closer they got to his distressed sibling. The closer they got, the more Castiel could feel her grace which helped narrow down her location. As they drove through a new town, he knew she was there somewhere and directed Dean accordingly.

"There," he said, pointing to an abandoned building as they drove around. "My sister's there. She's still calling for help, but… her call is weaker than before. Either she's dying, or she's losing hope."

"We'll get her," Dean assured him as he pulled the Impala to a stop then hurried out and around to the other side to help Cas out. As an afterthought, he dug out the first aid kit just in case the angel was too hurt for her grace to heal her sufficiently.

They made their way into the building, Castiel leading the way as if he knew the building like they knew the bunker.

"She's near," he mumbled. "Hello?! Sister?"

"B-Brother?"

Castiel stopped at the sound of the whimpered plea and tilted his head then changed direction, moving toward the sound. "Sister?" he called again.

"I'm here," she cried in response, beginning to sob. "Please, I'm here!"

They rounded a stack of dusty crates, and Dean had to force back a gasp of surprise. The angel, in a vessel with red hair and green eyes, was chained to the wall, hands above her head and toes barely brushing the concrete. Her jeans and blouse were torn and bloody, wisps of blue grace eking out of the tears where Dean assumed wounds must have been made. But the sight that had made Dean's breath catch was the angel blade embedded in her shoulder, likely the same one that had caused all her injuries.

"Mariel," Castiel breathed, finally recognizing the angel behind the vessel.

"Castiel," Mariel sobbed with relief. "You found me! But… is it safe for you?" she asked, nodding toward his belly.

"I'll be fine," he assured her. "Who did this?"

"More of our brothers and sisters," Mariel spat angrily. "Because I refused to help them hunt down Lucifer's child and the new one we sensed come into existence months ago. I think they intended to come back for me."

At the mention of Jack, Castiel's heart gave a twinge, but he reminded himself that they would find his son and Mary. He unconsciously placed a hand on his belly at the mention of his unborn child. "Why would you refuse them?"

"Because Lucifer's nephilim child hasn't caused any harm to anyone, so why would I hunt him down? And I believe that the newest child would be good, too. Seeing that it's you who is responsible for this child's creation, I know it can be good," she said with a fond smile. "I will not kill innocent angels – especially child angels – when there are so few of us left."

Dean couldn't help the grin that statement brought to his face as he knelt at Mariel's other side. "I wish there were more angels like you and Cas."

Mariel cast him a soft smile. "I wish there were more humans as accepting as the Winchesters."

They shared a fond look for a moment before Dean sighed and nodded to the blade in her shoulder. "That's going to hurt coming out. But you should heal after it does, right?"

Mariel nodded. "I might need a little assistance, but my grace is undamaged. It will heal."

Dean nodded and gripped the angel blade then swiftly pulled it out. Mariel cried out in pain as it slid free, wisps of grace trickling from the wound. Castiel immediately held a hand over it and used some of his grace to supplement hers enough for it to heal.

"Dean, help me get her down," Castiel commanded, reaching up to yank the chain from the wall with a firm tug. Immediately, Dean caught her and held her to him.

"Can you heal?" he asked her, holding her securely with an arm around her waist.

She nodded. "I will be weak for a while, but I do have enough grace to heal."

"Let me help," Castiel offered, placing his fingers to her forehead. In a few seconds, the grace stopped leaking from her wounds which smoothly closed.

"Thank you, brother," she whispered with a tired smile. "But, please, do not overextend your grace. Not with a child to support."

"I'm alright," he assured her with a small smile.

"Come on, let's get you guys out of here before those asshats come back," Dean insisted, already leading Mariel toward the exit.

Once outside, Mariel gently pushed away from Dean and stood on her own, smiling between the hunter and her brother.

"Thank you both," she said. "Castiel, if it's not too forward… I would like to watch over you and your family. We know Lucifer's son was with you, and with your newest child… I want to protect them both, too."

Castiel smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Mariel."

They said their goodbyes, and as Mariel walked away, Dean tried offering her a ride somewhere. He didn't trust that the angels that took her wouldn't find her and wanted to get her as far away from there as quickly as possible. She declined, adamant that she would be alright. So, he and Castiel piled into the car and drove back toward the bunker. Castiel made sure to call Sam as promised, spending ten minutes on the phone with his boyfriend to recount the events of the successful rescue. They were halfway there when the wind and snow picked up, and the temperature seemed to drop, despite the sun still being out. It looked like a storm was starting up.

"Damn," Dean cursed, leaning forward in his seat in an attempt to see through the falling snow, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "I can't see shit through this storm. The sun setting ain't helping either. It's _right fucking there_ in my face."

"We're not in any hurry," Castiel said from the passenger seat, hands idly rubbing up and down his belly. "We'll make it home just fine."

"Still. Makes me uneasy," Dean admitted, settling back in his seat again though he squinted slightly. He let go of the steering wheel long enough to turn the heat up a bit more before holding on tightly again.

Dean had been driving slower than the speed limit – which was much slower than Dean was used to on open roads like this since he usually liked to let Baby fly when he could – because of the winter weather. But with a snowstorm picking up, he made sure to drive even more carefully. Even so, as they drove over a patch of ice, the Impala jerked, and Dean cursed as he yanked the wheel in an attempt to right the car. Heart pounding, the hunter glanced at his companion to be sure the angel was alright.

Castiel had both hands pressed to his belly, wide eyes staring downward.

"Cas, you okay?" Dean asked, trying to watch the angel for signs of distress or injury while also trying to keep them safely on the road.

"I… I, ah…" Castiel winced and shifted awkwardly in his seat. "I think my water broke. I feel wet. It's a very unpleasant feeling."

"Shit, _now?"_ Dean cried, resisting the urge to speed to get Cas home quicker; doing so would likely end in an accident.

Cas only nodded, squeezing his eyes shut tightly and groaning deeply.

"Son of a _bitch_!" snarled Dean, fingers blanching as he gripped the steering wheel even tighter. "Have you been in labor this whole time?!"

"I don't know," Cas moaned, tipping his head back and panting. "I was okay. I only felt a little discomfort, but that is not out of the ordinary this far along. Being in labor had not occurred to me."

"You feel anything?" Dean asked, removing one hand from the wheel to gesture vaguely toward the angel's lower half.

Castiel shook his head, breathing evenly, apparently finished with what must have been a contraction. "Not yet. But if my water has broken, delivery can't be too much longer."

Now that Castiel seemed to be calmer, Dean found himself calming with him. His grip on the wheel relaxed to a natural state instead of vice-like, and he focused on the road. "Okay. Okay, we'll just have to, uh, wait and see, I guess. Do you think you make it until we get home?"

"I will try, but childbirth can be unpredictable, you know. How far from the bunker are we?" asked Castiel.

"About an hour, I think," Dean said, checking his watch.

He had only looked away from the road for a split second, but that was all it took. While his attention was elsewhere and one hand off the wheel, the car drove over a larger patch of ice. Adrenaline rushing through him in response to the terror of the car fishtailing, Dean over corrected with a sharp jerk of the wheel, sending them into a full spin that took them off the side of the deserted road and straight for a large tree. When they finally came to a complete stop, it was only because the front end of the Impala had connected with the trunk of the tree. With her front end crumpled in on itself, Baby's engine sputtered then died. Without the power of the engine, the heat coming from the vents turned off, leaving them in a too loud silence.

Stunned, it took Dean a moment to remember how to breathe and move. When he came back to himself, he immediately turned to the angel beside him. At first glance, Dean noticed he was alert and didn't see any obvious injuries. He had one hand pressed against the dashboard while the other clutched tightly at his belly, his shirt crinkling in his grip, as he panted.

"Cas? Cas, you okay?" Dean asked frantically, shifting in his seat and raising his hands in an aborted motion to feel for himself if Cas was okay.

The angel nodded once, sharply, before bowing his head and giving a strangled cry that Dean knew meant he was pushing. So, the baby _had_ been down low.

"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay," Dean soothed as Cas panted harshly, giving in to the need to get his hands on the angel. He slid one across Castiel's shoulder, kneading the tense muscle at the base of his neck, while the other covered the hand Castiel still had on his belly, squeezing gently in reassurance. "How bad is it?"

"The baby is _right there_ ," Cas whimpered before his breath picked up then held as he bore down again.

"Hey, don't hold your breath, Cas, breathe," Dean coached.

Castiel responded by releasing the breath on a prolonged groan before he panted again, slumping back against the seat.

"You good for now?" asked Dean, cautiously retracting his hands. When he got a tired nod in response, he began patting himself down in search of his phone. "Okay, I'm gonna call Sam. He's gonna have to come get us to take us back to the bunker. I'll have to get a tow truck to get Baby back later."

Finding his phone in one of the pockets of his jeans, Dean quickly scrolled through his contacts until he found Sam's name. Mouthing "pick up, pick up, pick up," repeatedly, he listened to it ring a few times before relief washed over him when he heard the click of Sam picking up.

 _"_ _Hello?"_ Sam asked in greeting.

"Hey, uh, how far away are you?" Dean asked.

 _"_ _I'm about a half an hour from the bunker. You guys were in the opposite direction, right? How far away are_ you _?"_ Sam asked in response.

"About an hour. But, uh, a storm picked up, and we hit some ice, and now Baby is smashed into a tree," Dean explained. "We're not hurt, but Baby's front is too smashed to drive. And, uh, Cas is in labor."

As if to punctuate that statement, Castiel's breath picked up before he moaned, curling in on himself.

 _"_ _Cas?"_ Sam called, having heard his boyfriend's distress.

"He's fine," Dean promised, using his free hand to rub Castiel's upper back as the angel bore down with a grunt. "Contraction. But, Sam, his water broke, and he's already started pushing. I don't think the head has started crowning since he hasn't said he needs his pants off, but it's gotta be close. I don't think he can resist pushing at this point."

 _"_ _I'll_ _keep going past the bunker and_ _head for you then. I don't know if I'll get to you before the baby's born, so you'll have to do it, Dean,"_ Sam said.

Dean nodded even though his brother couldn't see, retracting his hand from Castiel's shoulders as he slumped back again with a weary whimper. "I got this, Sammy."

 _"_ _I know you do, Dean._ _"_ The unspoken "I trust you" filled Dean with warmth.

They said their goodbyes, and Dean slipped his phone back into his pocket just in time for Cas to start panting again. This time, as the contraction built and he obeyed his body's demand to push, his hands frantically shoved at the waistband of his pants as he whined.

"Dean, it's coming _out,"_ he whimpered.

"Okay, okay, I gotcha," Dean soothed as he reached around Cas to grasp the opposite side of his pants and helped the angel pull them down. When they reached his knees, Dean took over, shoving them a bit further down so Cas could spread his thighs. As he peaked between the angel's legs, he noticed a small patch of dark hair already peeking out. "Oh, yeah, baby's definitely on its way out."

Cas responded with a cry as he pushed, a hand dipping between his thighs to feel his child's head. When the contraction ended and he stopped pushing, he felt the head slip back in a fraction.

"Can you catch yourself?" Dean asked, having watched with awe as Cas had seemed to handle that last one like a pro.

"I don't think so," Cas said between pants. "I'll need your help."

"Okay. Okay, I can do that," Dean assured. "I suppose it's too late to get you into the back seat where there's more room, huh?"

Cas nodded with a tired smile. "I can't move. Not with the baby's head so low."

"Yeah. And getting out in _that_ doesn't sound like a good idea anyway, even for a second," Dean agreed, gesturing toward the window as the snow blew around them. "Okay, we can do this, right? Can you at least turn toward me at all? If you can get one foot up here, I can get my hands in there to catch."

Cas shook his head as he curled forward again with a groan. "I can't," he growled through gritted teeth. "S'coming too fast."

"Okay, I'll just, uh…" As Dean examined the space in front of Cas, an idea struck him. "Okay, might be a tight fit, but…"

As he trailed off, he carefully slipped down into the footwell around Cas so he could kneel in front of him. At his size and with Castiel's legs, it was a tight fit, but he managed to get into a kneeling position and remove Castiel's shoes and pull his pants the rest of the way off. He tossed those into the driver's seat.

"Put your feet on my legs and let your knees fall open," he instructed the panting angel.

Cas did as he was told, planting his feet on Dean's thighs and spreading his legs. One hand remained near his child's head as he pushed again, moaning through it until it passed and he was left panting.

"Here," Dean said softly, gently batting the angel's hand away to replace it with his own. "I got it, Cas. Just push."

"I _am_ pushing," Cas growled as he did just that.

Dean watched and felt as the baby's head inched forward again with Castiel's pushes. It awed him that he was allowed to be a part of this. He couldn't stop grinning proudly – he wasn't sure if it was at Cas for giving birth like a champ, or at himself for handling it so smoothly – as Cas pushed, working the head out inch by inch through pained cries and determined growls. He didn't even mind the little bit of blood and other fluid on the baby's head as it slid into his hands, so amazed at the whole process that it didn't register as gross to him. As the widest part of the baby's head started to emerge, Cas yelped, immediately backing off the push.

Dean's gaze immediately snapped up to the angel's face, green eyes wide with worry. "Cas? What's wrong?"

"Burns," Cas panted, tipping his head back and whimpering. "Have to... ease the head out."

Dean watched as Cas fought the urge to push, panting and blowing out sharp breaths. He returned his attention to the baby's head as, with each breath Cas released, it slowly eased out until it was firmly free.

"You did it, Cas," Dean said breathlessly through a grin aimed toward his friend. "You got the head out."

Cas gave him a tired smile in return, fighting to catch his breath and resisting the urge to squirm as he felt the baby turn inside him.

"Almost there," Dean encouraged as he watched the baby turn. After the baby rotated into position for the second part of delivery, Dean carefully cradled the head in one hand as he slipped a finger in alongside the baby's neck, checking for the cord. "No cord. You're good, Cas. You're almost there; give it all you got."

Cas pushed with everything he had left, throwing his head back with a strangled, drawn-out cry. He felt Dean guide one shoulder out then the second as he pushed. Then, suddenly, the rest of the baby's body slipped free, and the pain completely vanished, and he was left feeling empty and sore. Panting hard to catch his breath, he watched Dean lift a squirming, crying baby covered in fluids. The hunter grinned broadly up at the angel as he passed the baby over, settling it on Castiel's chest. The angel immediately had his hands on his child, holding it securely to him while Dean quickly shed his coat and helped Castiel swaddle the baby as well as they could with it.

"It's a girl, Cas," he announced, unable to stop smiling. "You did it."

"A daughter," Cas breathed, trailing his fingertips down his daughter's cheek. "Hello there, little one."

Dean chuckled as the baby's cries immediately began to quiet and she tipped her face up toward her father's voice. After watching Cas bond with his baby for a few moments, the hunter noticed small tremors running through the angel. As the excitement of the birth wound down, Dean immediately became aware of how cold the car was without a working heater and the sun fully set.

"Cas? Are you cold?" he asked.

Cas blinked at him for a moment as if he'd forgotten Dean was there then frowned, nodding. "I'm exhausted after expending so much energy to heal Mariel then delivering my baby. My grace is weak at the moment, and regulating body temperature must be one of the processes it stopped doing for now."

"Yeah, and with Baby's front all smashed up, the heater won't work," Dean added. Then he reached for the angel's discarded pants. "I know they're probably wet from when your water broke, and I know cold and wet aren't good, but you need as many layers as you can get," he explained as he helped get them back onto Cas.

Cas nodded, holding his daughter a little tighter as he trembled. "Thank you, Dean."

Dean nodded then climbed back up to sit beside Cas, wrapping an arm around him and drawing him closer. "Sam shouldn't be too much longer. I'm sure I can keep you warm until then."

"Thank you," Cas said as he leaned into Dean gratefully.

"I'll try calling him," Dean said, fishing his phone back out of his pocket. Once he'd found Sam's name and tapped "Call," he put it on speaker and held it up between them.

 _"_ _Hello?"_

"Sam," Castiel said with a small smile at Dean's prompting to speak.

 _"_ _C_ _as, hey,_ _"_ Sam said, relief clear in his voice. _"_ _How_ _are_ _you holding up, angel?"_

"I'm alright. Sam, we have a daughter," the angel announced with a proud smile.

 _"_ _A daughter,"_ Sam repeated, trying to wrap his head around the news. _"_ _We have little girl_ _…_ _Holy shit, I'm a dad."_

"Don't swear when your kid can hear, Sammy," Dean teased with a chuckle. "And if you're feeling stunned, pull over. Don't need us both crashing cars."

"She is asleep, and has no idea what we're saying anyway," Cas countered.

 _"_ _I'm fine, Dean._ _Hey,_ _I'm about forty-five minutes away from the bunker in your direction. Should be coming up to you guys soon,"_ Sam explained.

"Good 'cause with Baby's front smashed, the heater conked out, and it's getting cold out here," Dean complained. "Cas's grace is a little weak at the moment, but I'm doing my best to keep them both warm."

 _"_ _Okay, I'm almost there."_

Ten minutes later found the two in the car pressed as tightly together for warmth as they could get, the baby tucked between them, fast asleep and wrapped up in Dean's winter coat. The angel shivered as much as the human after being in the cold for so long, half of that time spent partially undressed to deliver his baby though he hadn't noticed the chill until after.

Then headlights shone into the windows as a car approached, pulling to a stop on the road behind where the Impala had crashed. As Dean watched in the rear view mirror, a figure climbed out of the car which was left running. As the figure stood to its full height, Dean grinned, knowing that moose of a man anywhere.

"Sammy!" he cried with relief, gently extricating himself from Castiel to exit the car and greet his brother. He held onto the taller man tightly, clapping him n the back and savoring the residual warmth from Sam's car. "Damn, it's so good to see you."

Sam chuckled, hugging his brother in return before letting go. "Glad you're okay. If you don't mind, I'd kind of like to see my boyfriend and daughter now though, so I'm just gonna…" He gestured to the car, and Dean chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah, go meet your kid. I'm just going to wait in your nice warm car," Dean said before slipping into the back seat.

Sam smiled fondly, but couldn't fault Dean for wanting to get warm quickly. Speaking of warming up, once Dean was safely in his car, Sam leaned into the driver's side of the Impala, smiling affectionately at his boyfriend before he noticed the infant swaddled in Dean's coat.

"Hey, sweetheart," he whispered, lips curling into a smile for the hundredth time since Castiel had told him they had a daughter only ten minutes ago.

"Sam, you're here," Castiel croaked, smiling with relief as he gazed at his boyfriend.

"Yeah, angel, I'm here," Sam assured, leaning in to press his lips to Castiel's, the hand not supporting his weight on the seat coming up to caress down the angel's cheek and jaw. When the kiss ended, he dropped his hand down to the little body on Castiel's chest. "And so is she."

Castiel chuckled. "She couldn't wait. I tried, Sam, but it happened so quickly."

"Nah, Cas, I understand. Come on, let's get you both warm," he said before pulling out of the car and moving around to the other side to help Cas get out.

Cas was unsteady on his feet at first, and Sam held him upright, making sure the angel had a firm grasp on their daughter, then helped him into the back seat of his own car with Dean. His brother would help Cas keep the baby secure while Sam drove.

An hour later found the four back at the bunker, warm and fed and resting comfortably. After dinner (which even Cas participated in, still exhausted after healing Mariel and giving birth), Dean retired to his own room while Sam took Castiel and their daughter, now dressed and swaddled properly and fast asleep in Sam's arms, to their room. Sam deposited the bay in the bassinet she would be sleeping in beside their bed for the foreseeable future before he tucked his angel into bed. Then he climbed in behind Castiel, tucking the smaller man back against his chest.

Castiel sighed happily at the warmth and the embrace, pressing back into Sam.

"You'll be alright in the morning?" murmured Sam.

Castiel hummed in sleepy agreement. "Yes. Don't worry, beloved."

"I still hate that I missed her birth," Sam said sadly, glancing at the bassinet that held his new child.

"I am sorry, Sam," Castiel said, turning over to face the hunter. "If I had known she would come so quickly, I wouldn't have gone."

"No, your sister needed you, and she's going to live because of you," Sam said, affection for his boyfriend's kindness shining in his eyes. "I love that about you, Cas. You care so much about everyone."

Castiel smiled shyly and ducked his gaze, nuzzling into Sam's chest. "I want to name her Mariel."

"The angel?" Sam asked stupidly, exhaustion fogging his brain. It took him a moment to realize who Cas meant. "Oh, the baby. After the angel. I kind of like that."

"I was also thinking," Castiel said hesitantly, "that it could be a nod to your mother, too."

"But Mom's not-"

"I know, beloved," Cas assured, pressing a kiss to Sam's jaw. "And we will find her. And Jack. But a relative does not have to be dead to be important enough to become a namesake. Your mother is important to you and Dean, and she has become important to me, too. And, somehow, I have become one of 'her boys'," he added with a chuckle.

"That's true," Sam agreed. "Mariel," he said, testing it out. "I like it. Why do you want to name her after your sister though?"

"She refused to hunt down Jack and our daughter, believing them to be good. There aren't enough angels like her," Cas explained.

"That's a good enough reason for me," Sam agreed, hugging his boyfriend tighter. "Mariel it is then. Now, you need to sleep, angel. I'll be here when you wake. And if Mariel cries, I'll take care of her. You did the hardest part today. Let me take care of you both for a while."

Castiel smiled as he drifted off to sleep. In her bassinet, Mariel slept peacefully as well.

* * *

 **AUTHOR'S** **NOTE:** I can't take credit for the name "Mariel." It was used in another fic I recently read and got stuck in my head. And I'd originally decided they had a boy because I always do girls but couldn't find a good name for a boy and then I wrote the beginning after the birth part and needed an angel to rescue and Mariel popped into my head and… Well, this is how it came out instead.


End file.
